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Description:
Navigation Courses set in the attractive
village of Tideswell, in the heart of the Peak National Park,
the weekends will give you the essential skills necessary to get
the most out of your map and compass.
The weekends are sponsored by Silva, the makers of compasses
and other navigational equipment, and backed by Country Walking
magazine.
This year we are following the syllabus of the National Navigation
Award Scheme (NNAS), a structured way to learn navigation skills,
the award is divided into 3 levels - Bronze, Silver and Gold.
The weekends are led by navigation expert Pete Hawkins, supported
by experienced tutors who will ensure you get the most out of
each course.
Please visit Pete Hawkins Navigation Website for more information,
the link is at the foot of this page.
Tutors
Each weekend is being run by Pete Hawkins, a qualified mountain leader, freelance journalist and the author of three navigation books, “Map and Compass; the Art of Navigation”, Navigation: Techniques and Skills for Walkers and Navigating with a GPS all published by Cicerone. He has been teaching map and compass skills for twenty-five years and led walking holidays around the world for 17. He's written regularly on navigation for Britain's leading walking magazine, Country Walking. Pete's approach is a practical one, based on years of teaching the subject. He'll be joined by suitably qualified and experienced tutors, some he's worked with for many years. Together they'll give you a thorough grounding in the skills necessary for effective navigation.
Tideswell Weekends
Please contact Pete for up to date costs for courses. This cost covers the tuition in small groups. The weekends are held in a private room of the Anchor Inn in Tideswell.
Accommodation isn't included in the weekend price but there is plenty available in the village and surrounding area. The village has a range of accommodation available (pub, bed and breakfast and self catering), a nearby youth hostel (Ravenstor) and in the neighbouring village of Litton, a campsite.
Accommodation details are on the navigation courses website - www.navigationcourses.co.uk.
Evening Meals
The weekends are based at The Anchor Inn, an old pub on the edge of the village
with an excellent reputation for food. You can, of course, make
your own arrangements for meals but to make things easier we've
put together a menu for Friday evening which you might like to
join us at. The Friday meal will be served at 6.30 pm although
it may be possible to delay yours if you give the pub notice that
you'll be late (The evening tuition starts at 7.30 pm). Saturday's
meal can be pre-booked friday evening.
Meals must be booked and paid for in advance. Once you've booked
on a particular weekend, you'll be sent further details including
a menu form to return.
Bronze Map and Compass Skills
The Bronze weekend will broadly follow the following structure
although we may tweak it to suit the skills of the tutors involved.
Friday Evening - This first session will introduce the basic
skills of map and compass work. This will set course members up
for tomorrow's practical day outside. Areas we'll cover will include
map scales, map symbols, rights of way, footpaths and access land,
understanding contours, grid references and the three norths.
Saturday - We'll spend all day outside, in small groups, on a
series of practical exercises designed to get you using your map
properly. Areas that will be covered include map detail, timing,
pacing, ticking off, setting maps, linear navigation etc.
Saturday Evening - After a short feedback session, we'll divide
into smaller groups for a some short workshop sessions covering
areas like GPSs, computer route planners, outdoor clothing and
equipment.
Sunday - Another practical day consolidating the skills learnt
yesterday. We'll also spend time with the compass, taking bearings
on the map and following them on the ground and simple point-to-point
navigation. The weekend will finish at roughly 4 pm.
The following is taken from the bronze NNAS syllabus and includes
what we'll cover. We'll also introduce elementary compass work
into the weekend - so at least you'll know what the thing does!
- Understanding the nature of a map as a two dimensional plan.
- Understanding map symbols, scales and the underlying principle
of the magnetic compass including cardinal points. Ordnance
Survey maps at scales of 1:25,000 and 1:50,000, Harvey’s
Walkers maps, specialist maps from organisations like the British
Waterways Board or Orienteering maps-or a selection of these
-can be covered here depending on circumstances and resources.
The part played by grid references and magnetic variation will
depend on the type of map being used.
- Orientating the map to the ground with and without a compass
and using the ‘set’ map to identify features on map
and ground, to pinpoint current map position and to make route
decisions.
- The use of linear features (e.g. paths and streams) as handrails
in simple navigational exercises using the thumb to indicate
position on the map.
- The ability to judge approximate distances on both map and
ground.
- An appreciation of the relationship between land forms and
other distinct objects as indicated on the map. This will involve
a basic understanding of the contour system and the ability
to match major land forms like hills and valleys to their map
images.
- The ability to plan a safe walk or course in wild country
in line with set criteria on duration, difficulty, and objectives.
- The application of relevant safety procedures to navigation
including simple relocation on paths.
- Knowledge of how Rights of Way are shown on maps and the practicalities
of their use in the countryside in harmony with the Country
Code and access constraints
Silva Map and Compass Skills
The silver weekend will broadly follow the structure below
although it may be tweaked to suit the skills of the tutors involved.
This course is intended for those who have attended a bronze weekend
or have been navigating confidently with a map for years .... be
aware though, experience has shown that even these people can learn
a great deal from a bronze weekend.
Friday Evening - This first session will quickly re-introduce
some of the essential elements of the bronze weekend, bring people
up to speed with compass work and then head outside for a night
navigation exercise.
Saturday - We'll spend all day outside, in small groups, on a
series of practical exercises designed to get you using your compass
properly. Point to point navigation, aiming off, use of ground
features and other skills will be introduced in a structured way
throughout the day.
Saturday Evening - After a short feedback session, you'll be
planning a route that you'll walk in your groups tomorrow. The
walk will be up on the moors and will involve some complicated
navigation legs.
Sunday - Another practical day spent walking the route you planned
last night. Did the route work, how could it be improved?
Below is the syllabus we'll cover taken from the NNAS.
- The ability to ‘break down’ a navigational stage
into coarse and fine navigation i.e. the coarse section could
easily involve easy handrail navigation along a path while the
fine section could demand accurate map reading and use of compass
to execute a subtle route where no clear linear feature exists.
- The ability to choose an appropriate attack point as an obvious
starting point for the fine sections of a stage and to use clear
features en route to check that the navigator is on course.
- Understanding the use of navigational strategies, like aiming
off to hit a chosen point on a linear feature [e.g. bridge over
a stream] or traffic light system [green section-easy: orange
section- be careful: red- extreme concentration and care.] to
adjust concentration levels to the difficulty of the navigation.
- Understanding the physical and navigational factors affecting
the choice of a route e.g. height gain or loss, [as in Naismith’s
rule]. Severity of terrain or vegetation, degree of difficulty
of map reading and execution, and the ability to decide on an
effective route in the light of the experience and navigational
experience of the participants.
- The ability to judge distance accurately [e.g. by step-counting
between given points.]
- The ability to plan a safe walk or course involving Level
2 skills and strategies as listed-recording details on a route
card. This plan may be used for assessment purposes if appropriate.
- Understanding the practice of simple relocation strategies
when lost [e.g. making for the nearest known point for precise
location or choosing a safe route to a linear feature].
- The ability to use a compass for accurate bearings and the
checking of footpath direction, including an introduction to
different types of compasses and their workings.
- Understanding of the effects of fatigue and physical discomfort
brought on by navigational activity in open countryside and/or
extreme weather conditions, including recognition of the symptoms
of hypothermia and hyperthermia and their treatment. Attention
should be paid to demands on equipment and effects on decision
making as well as basic physiological and psychological considerations.
- An understanding of the formal and de facto rules governing
access to the countryside as for Level 1
Course Dates 2009
Below are the list of dates for the Silva Map and Compass Courses for 2008. Whilst there appear to be lots of navigation weekends, they do book up quickly so ensure your place I'd advise you to book early.
To book on a Silva Map and Compass weekend, go to the Navigation Shop.
Dates Course Title Price
23 - 25 Jan 2009 Silver Map and Compass Course £99
6 - 8 Feb 2009 Bronze Map and Compass Skills £99
20 - 22 Feb 2009 Bronze Map and Compass Skills £99
6 - 8 Mar 2009 Bronze Map and Compass Skills £99
20 - 22 Mar 2009 Bronze Map and Compass Skills £99
3 - 5 April 2009 Bronze Map and Compass Skills £99
24 - 26 April 2009 Bronze Map and Compass Skills £99
8 - 10 May 2009 Bronze Map and Compass Skills £99
9 May 2009 Contour Only Navigation (for those having completed a Bronze, SIlver or Gold Course) £35
23 May 2009 Contour Only Navigation (for those having completed a Bronze, SIlver or Gold Course) £35
29 - 31 May 2009 Bronze Map and Compass Skills £99
12 - 14 June 2009 Bronze Map and Compass Skills £99
26 - 28 June 2009 Bronze Map and Compass Skills £99
10 - 12 July 2009 Bronze Map and Compass Skills £99
14 - 16 Aug 2009 Bronze Map and Compass Skills £99
11 - 13 Sept 2009 Bronze Map and Compass Skills £99
25 - 27 Sept 2009 Bronze Map and Compass Skills £99
9 - 11 Oct 2009 Bronze Map and Compass Skills £99
30 Oct - 1 Nov 2009 Silver Map and Compass Course £99
13 - 15 Nov 2009 Silver Map and Compass Course £99
27 - 29 Nov 2009 Silver Map and Compass Course £99
11 - 13 Dec 2009 with assessment day 16/1/10 Gold Map and Compass Course £150
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